- Adelaide Hills and southern suburbs were severely struck.
- There were more than 423,000 lightning bolts and 106kmh winds.
- Some communities won’t have power until Monday.
Some communities won’t have power until Monday as SA Power Networks repairs storm damage that caused blackouts for 80,000 customers on Saturday.
Adelaide Hills and southern suburbs were severely struck about 4pm by more than 423,000 lightning bolts and 106kmh winds.
SA Power Networks head of corporate relations Paul Roberts said the damage was “severe” and likely the most widespread outage since February 2017, when 90,000 Adelaide households lost power for 45 minutes during a heatwave.
Before 4pm, 78 outages affected 18,341 subscribers.
“We had workers working all day on the Eyre Peninsula and Yorke Peninsula into the Mid North,” Mr. Roberts said.
Additional employees will labor through the night, but it will take 24 to 48 hours to fix the damage.
Heavy rain and thunderstorms prompted widespread blackouts in Adelaide suburbs on Saturday, including Westfield Marion, and cancelled a music festival hosted by Hilltop Hoods.
At 4pm, SA Power Networks reported 78 outages impacting 18,341 customers; many won’t have power until 9pm.
5.30pm: 129 outages affecting 75,188 subscribers.
A “mini-cyclone” slammed the Adelaide Hills, damaging roads and buildings.
Kristen Stevens, 33, was visiting a family member on Saturday when she got a report that a tree had fallen in front of her Glengowrie unit.
Ms. Stevens came home to find a 30m tree had fallen on a neighbor’s van, missing her Volkswagen.
Ms. Stevens, who is expected to give birth on Monday, was shocked.
“My neighbor’s automobile is smashed. It’s dead.
It’s the worst storm I’ve seen.
Ms. Stevens’ neighbor wasn’t home to view the van’s damage.
Ms. Stevens’ automobile was scratched but otherwise unharmed.
“I was afraid because I’m pregnant, but it’s drivable. She said, “I’m delighted everyone’s safe.”
One Hills resident said the storm “torn through these trees like a scythe” and described buildings with flapping metal roofs.
Trees blocked the Belair train line near Coromandel Valley, Main Road in Blackwood, and the Duck Inn in Coromandel Valley.
Residents also cleaned up Light Rd, Patricia St, and McNamara Rd.
At 4pm, a woman was injured by a fallen tree on Ranelagh St.
SA ambulance and MFS personnel helped rescue the woman. She has multiple shattered bones and is stable at Royal Adelaide Hospital.
By 5.30pm, the State Emergency Service had logged 347 events, including fallen trees in the Adelaide Hills and floods from Craigmore to Morphett Vale and further south at Port Elliot and Encounter Bay.
The Handpicked music festival, including Hilltop Hoods, was cancelled at Lake Breeze Wines in Langhorne Creek at 4pm.
Organizers wrote on social media that the weather was worse than expected.
“We prioritize patron, crew, and artist safety. Today we’re cancelling Handpicked.”
Organizers have offered a full refund for all impacted ticketholders.
At 4pm, water began leaking through a small part of the Northfield Target, saturating apparel, toys, and Christmas products.
Customers helped workers pull racks and things out of the stream, and the store was shuttered while the neighboring Foodland leaked and the car park and Main North Rd flooded.
Wild weather and strong storm warnings delayed the start of the Crows AFLW semi-final.
Lightning storms delayed the Crows vs. Collingwood match for 30 minutes.
A Crows spokesman indicated the final could be postponed if more lightning strikes occur within 10km of the ground.
In the previous 24 hours, South Australia has experienced roughly 143,000 lightning strikes.
The storm system off the Eyre Peninsula presumably caused the lightning.
The Bureau of Meteorology predicts additional storms, thunderstorms, and showers through the weekend, with a break Sunday morning before afternoon rains.
A storm near Eyre Peninsula reached Adelaide around lunchtime Saturday.
Adelaide, Whyalla, Renmark, Maitland, Murray Bridge, and Kingscote have severe weather warnings.
This storm system will likely generate severe gusts, huge hailstones, and heavy rains from 2.45pm.
BOM issues severe weather warnings for Onkaparinga, Yankalilla, Victor Harbor, Gawler, Western Alexandrina, Playford, sections of the Barossa, Mount Barker, and the Adelaide Hills.
Port Lincoln had 35mm of rain in two hours today, while Adelaide is expected to get 15-25mm.
Simon Tincke, a BOM spokeswoman, said the Riverland may get 30 to 60mm of rain this weekend.
6-10mm of rain and 23 degrees are anticipated for Adelaide on Sunday.
Easterly winds will increase to 35km/h in Adelaide before heading north to north-easterly in the afternoon and evening.
Today’s Adelaide Polo Classic was cancelled, but the Christmas Pageant escaped the rain.
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